Not to Die But to Love
by XxVoriinaxX
Summary: Even though the girl before her was murdered at CGL, Riley takes it all without flinching. Only when she gets there does she realize it'll be harder than she thought to keep her guard up. ZigZagOC Rated for sex scences, romance, language, and other stuff.
1. Lesson Not Learned

**Okay**

**Haven't written a Holes fic in a long time.**

**But here it goes..**

**Don't own Holes or anything associated with it.**

**Yet, Riley belongs to me.**

**Enjoy.**

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Lesson Not Learned

The last girl who had ventured into Camp Green Lake had been killed. No one exactly knew how, or by what. Maybe the hormonal boys did it? Or maybe those Yellow-Spotted Lizards. You would have thought the courts would have learned their lesson and not sentenced another girl to the camp. But HELLO, this is America, and everyone takes the easiest route out.

The sand in the air as the bus roared down the road made it impossible to see much. As we got closer to the camp, I could see ants of people out on the dry lake bed. Hell, it hasn't been a lake for years, why hadn't anyone thought of changing the name to Camp Green Desert? Well, I guess it didn't have the same ring to it.

The guard stared at me from behind his giant black sunglasses. I stared back. He shifted and turned his head away. Maybe he was scared of me, or maybe it was just my eyes. I was betting on the latter. My eyes were an eerie crystal green color. Naturally. Sometimes they would darken into a more emerald green. Mostly at night. My hair was a dark red, and fell to the middle of my back when it was down. Right now, it was pulled up into a loose bun. It had been hard as hell to get all my hair into the tie with the handcuffs still on.

I could already feel the sunburns I was most likely going to get in this burning sun. Redheads have fair skin... it's like a curse. Maybe I'd be lucky and get away with only one. Sometimes, when I spent enough time in the sun my skin would adjust and only get a bit darker instead of burning. Let's pray for that shall we? Finally the bus came to a halt. I made a move to stand but the guard moved his glasses so that I could see his eyes and glared at me.

"You will wait until I stand." He told me with an accent I couldn't recognize. That surprised me. Usually, I am very good at accents. I sat back down and waited. After what seemed hours, he stood up and motioned for me to follow him. The bus driver smiled at me and wished me luck. Maybe he was remembering the last girl he had dropped off.

I stepped off the bus and my breath was stolen. I was glad I'd worn a wife beater. It made me feel a lot cooler than the long sleeved shirt I had thought about wearing. My fading blue jeans hugged my body nicely, although in the heat they were a little uncomfortable. My chuck taylors instantly gave me a taste of the temperature of the dirt underfoot. It was hot.

An ugly old man with squinty eyes had appeared from the cabin before me. I had to squint a little myself just to make sure he was really that ugly and it wasn't a trick of the sun. The guard and him exchanged a few words, randomly looking at me and then they walked into the cabin, leaving me all alone. The guard poked his head outside.

"What the hell you think you're doing girl? Get your ass in here!" He yelled at me. I raised an eyebrow at him before entering the cabin as well. It was at least a little bit cooler in here. Mr. Ugly probably had a air conditioner installed. A crappy one though. He motioned for me to sit down next to the guard, so I did. Mr. Ugly got two Pepsi cans from a small fridge in the corner and placed them down on the desk. I made no move to pick the one closest to me up. The guard grabbed his and chugged it.

"Good thing you didn't make no move to get this." Mr. Ugly told me. I just stared at him. "Cause it ain't yours." He laughed.

"Good. I don't like Pepsi." Mr. Ugly frowned, obviously upset he hadn't upset me. He pulled a file from a folder the guard had handed him. He opened it and flicked through it.

"Riley Sampson. Been a bad girl, I see." He sniggered. It made me curl my lip in disgust. "Let's see. Set fire to your house, where only you and your father lived... stole his car and went for a joy ride.. nothing I haven't seen before." He sucked on a sunflower seed.

"Well Mr. Sir, I'll be headed out then." The guard left without another word.

"Get ready to disrobe Miss Sampson." Mr. Sir said.

"Excuse me?" I hoped I had misheard him. He chuckled. I could hear the bus drive away. Now I knew how the other girl had died! Mr. Sir had raped and killed her!

"Don't get your panties in a twist." He spit out the shell. "You're just gonna be changing into your camp uniform." He rose from his chair and walked to the door. He yanked me up by the handcuffs. I winced.

"Think you might let me loose?" I raised my handcuffs up. He got keys from his shirt pocket and took the handcuffs off. We went back outside and he led me to another cabin that smelled faintly of laundry soap. A boy in a bright orange jumpsuit was folding clothes. He did a double take when he saw me.

"Here." Mr. Sir thrust some clothes at me. "These are your relaxation clothes. And these are your work clothes. Three days and your relaxation clothes become your work clothes, and your work clothes get washed. Here's some shower tokens. Change." He turned around and smacked the boy in the head when he didn't. I changed quickly, even though I still got a few whistles from boys who had walked by the door. Face a bit red, I cleared my throat to tell Mr. Sir I was done.

"Done." I said and he turned back around. He took my arm and led me outside.

"Now, you're in Tent D and here's your counselor right now. Good to have you out of my hair for now." He pushed me toward another man with a large sun block covered nose and lawn hat.

"Ms. Sampson!" He said a bit too enthusiastically. I took a step back. "Nice to see you! I'll take you over to the tent now and then to the Wreck Room where you can meet the boys." He grinned. He was nicer than Mr. Sir, by not snatching my arm, but he was scary in his own way. I could see plenty of boys making their way back from the lakebed. Some were cute and some weren't. Some looked harmless and others looked downright terrifying. I found myself dreading the moment I found out who my tent mates were...


	2. Afraid to Trust

** Thanx G.**

**Here's another chappie.**

**And I did NOT know that Max Kasch was in _Waiting..._**

**I now have 2 reasons to watch that movie.**

**(1st Ryan Reynolds!)**

**Anywayz,**

**Luvz**

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Afraid to Trust**

The tent was nothing special. Eight cots were inside arranged differently. The blankets were thin, and I finally appreciated the desert heat. Hopefully, the heat would stick through the night, or I'd have to find someone to sleep with. I set my old leather bag on the cot Mr. Pendanski pointed out as mine. The pillow looked stained and I prayed to god not to know what it was. Back outside, I decided to undo the top half of my jumpsuit and tie the arms around my waist. The black tank top they had given me was tight around my bust. I wasn't completely sure it was something I wanted a bunch of sex-deprived boys to see me in. Then again, I figured they'd have to get used to it.

"Now let's meet your new best friends." Mr. Pendanski grinned from ear to ear. I took a deep breath as he opened the door to what he called the wreck room. Instantly, my nose was filled with an awful smell. It took all that I had not to barf right then and there. Mr. Pendanski must have smelled it too because he flinched like he had been smacked in the face. "Mr. Theodore! Would you please put your arms down?" He waded into the smelly room but I wouldn't go any farther. My eyes had started watering, that's how bad the smell was. Mr. Pendanski opened the door wide enough for me to get in. He ushered me in telling me there was nothing to be shy about.

"I'm not shy; I'm scared my nose will go bad." I mumbled. The source of the smell was burly black boy with his jumpsuit up and zipped. I wondered if I should give him my shower tokens. I hoped he wasn't in the D-Tent. I glanced around the room. No one was extremely hot. Four boys were at the pool table in the far back. One was shorter with frizzy hair and creamy skin. The closest to him was a bit taller with curly brown hair. He looked like the typical awkward white boy. Then there was the semi-hot one. I hoped he was in D-Tent. I knew who I would sleep with in case it did get too cold for me at night. He had dark hair and eyes and was maybe a little taller than me. His jumpsuit was tied like mine and he had a white t-shirt on. He also had a hat on, cornered to the side so that his hair stuck out. The last boy had thick glasses, taped together at the nose bridge. He was the only other black boy in the room, other than the Theodore Armpits.

"Boys, this is Riley Sampson. New camper!" Mr. Pendanski couldn't have introduced me in a worse way. Every set of eyes were on me in a second and I could feel my cheeks start to burn. I hadn't even noticed the boy sitting in front of the broken TV. His blonde hair was wild and his bluish eyes just stared at me. He had a black tank top on like mine but my god, I like the way it fit him better. I'd heard the camp made their prisoners dig all day and this seemed to be proof. His arms were built just right and his skin a smooth tan. Not too white but not exactly tan-tan. I gulped without realizing it. My heart had sped from being on the spot.

"Howdy." I managed with an awkward smile and a small wave. Slowly, everyone returned to their activities. Mr. Pendanski pointed to the Theodore Armpits kid.

"This is Theodore. He'll introduce you to the rest of the D-Tent campers." And with that Mr. Pendanski was gone. I never thought I'd be sad to see him leave.

"Hi." I said to Theodore, eyeing him cautiously. He shrugged to make his jumpsuit more comfortable and lumbered toward the pool table.

"Don't be calling me no Theodore. My name is Armpit. And these are the rest of the guys. X-Ray, Squid, Caveman, and Zero." He pointed to each of the boys at the pool table in opposite order I'd noticed them. He then turned to face the broken TV. The boy with the crazy hair looked up from the static on the screen. "That'd be ZigZag. And that's Twitch." He pointed to a smaller boy sitting in the corner watching the pool game.

"Nicknames… cool…" Armpit lumbered off and I suddenly felt very alone. ZigZag still watched me and it sent chills racing up and down my spine. I decided to take a seat next to him on the couch. "What are you watching?" I choked out. I had to get a hold of myself. Where had the tough girl gone?

"Some show." He sighed, leaning back onto the couch. I took my eyes away from him and looked at the TV.

"Right..." He stole a glance at me from the corner of his eyes. I settled into the couch wishing the sun would hurry it's ass across the sky so I could get some sleep and the day would be over. On my way to the camp I had been so sure it would be better than being at home with the monster I called a Dad… but now that I got here, I wasn't so sure about that. "Why are you in here?" I blurted out. ZigZag looked at me.

"There's nothing else to do." He said with a raised eyebrow. I gave a short laugh.

"No, I mean, why are you at the camp?" I put one leg up on the couch so that I could face him better. He looked forward at the TV again and for a moment I thought he wasn't going to answer me.

"I burned a school down." He sighed. The hairs raised on the back of my neck as he said his words. The way they rolled from his mouth made my whole body tingle. I took a silent deep breath and let it out slowly. It was just me wanting someone in this land of unknown… I assured myself.

"Why? It couldn't have been that bad." The fact that both of us had been sentenced to Camp Green Lake for burning things down made me even more interested in him. School had been somewhat of a paradise for me. The only place I could get away from … him. He tilted his head ever so lightly to look at me.

"Well, according to everyone else, I did it because I felt everyone at the school was out to get me and it was the one thing I felt I could do to get the upper hand." He kept looking at me. Silence hovered between us. He leaned a little bit closer to me as if he wanted to tell me something without anybody else hearing. I leaned closer too. "But just between you and me, I didn't mean to do it." He whispered. His breath hovered over my cheek before he pulled back.

"I see…" We settled back into our places on the couch.

"And why are you here?" He asked, continuing the conversation.

"I burned down my house. With my father inside." I grew cold and distant with that simple thought. It always happened to me. Even my eyes got darker, or so I was told. ZigZag looked over at me, sensing it was a touchy subject.

"Did he die?" He asked softly. I shook my head.

"No… unfortunately he got out." Even my voice had gotten harsher. My confidence had grown in that small amount of time that I had thought about my father. I was always strong around him. I had to be. And suddenly I knew I had to be strong here too or I wouldn't survive. Just like the last girl... A bell sounded somewhere. The boys in the room started to disperse. The only window in the cabin showed that I had been lost in thought for much longer than I had thought. The night had set in. ZigZag leaned forward and shut off the TV. He looked over at me and I silently looked back, my mind still on my troublesome life. I could feel the flash of fear slide behind my eyes. ZigZag stood and walked in front of me. He held out his hand for me and leaned down a little.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. You don't have to be afraid at all." My hand slipped into his and he pulled me to my feet. I hadn't even known him for a day but I already trusted him more than I should…


	3. A Spark Within

**A Spark Within**

ZigZag and I stepped out of the Wreck Room and my skin instantly chilled. Goosebums appeared on my arms and I shivered. Maybe it was more than just the cold that made my bones ache? I peered into the darkness that surrounded the camp. The old wooden buildings made the silent camp even more eerie. I began to untie the arms of my jumpsuit so that I could put it on while I observed my settings. ZigZag stole a peek at me from the corner of his eye. He didn't say anything, just kept walking with his hands in his pockets. His gaze shifted back to the rest of the boys walking in front of us. Only when I began zipping up my jumpsuit did he pipe up.

"It gets cold out here." He said. He walked mechanically, eyes set on the building that was slowly growing larger. I figured it to be the cafeteria. All the boys in the camp must have been piling in. Shadows loomed over the ground where the lights from inside the cabin shone through windows. A figure caught my eye as it walked from the shadows to my right. As he came closer, I could see he was a tired looking kid of Mexican heritage. ZigZag noticed him too. A spark of recognition flicked in his eyes. At least I knew the shadow kid wasn't just some zombie roaming in from the lake. The other boy walked closer and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Not that I sensed anything very dangerous about him, it was just that I didn't know him.

"Hey ZigZag," he said, exhaustion heavy on his voice. ZigZag smiled at him in a way that made me think he had felt the same way before. Bones weary, muscles on fire... "Whose this angel you've got?" He looked me over. If I hadn't been feeling sorry for him at that moment, I probably would have snapped at him. The thing was, I just didn't have the heart to break him down as I looked into his weary eyes.

"Right- Magnet, this is Riley. Riley, this is Magnet." ZigZag introduced us. We had stopped when Magnet approached us. I wondered where he had come from... wandering in the dark and all. I snapped out of my thoughts and gave Magnet a smile and nod of acknowledgement. He smiled at me and took my hand in his. Gently, he patted the back of my hand before dropping it. He slapped ZigZag on the back in that "guy" way.

"Nice to meet you Riley. I'll see you guys around... Zig..." The corners of his mouth twitched as if he wanted to smile but no sign of happiness was to be found. ZigZag cupped him on the back as he walked away.

"I'll see you later Magnet." He watched after him before turning his attention back to the cafeteria. "I'm worried about that boy. It's like he's deteriating right in front of my very eyes." The sincere tone tugged at my heart. I was suddenly very aware at how comfortable I had become around ZigZag. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but maybe that's what the last girl had thought too? All my senses suddenly were pricked on high alert. I didn't want to be around ZigZag... even though I had begun to like him.

"Either you're a real sweet guy or you're a brilliant con artist." I raised an eyebrow at him and stepped into the cafeteria. The scent of food made my stomach gurgle. It didn't smell half bad... I took up a spot in line behind Squid. He glanced at me and smiled. I smiled back awkwardly. ZigZag stood behind me, silent as ever. As we approached the serving area, Squid handed me a tray. "Thanks." My eyes drifted to the giant bubbling pot and my stomach dropped. Squid laughed.

"Yeah... it's pretty much just slop." His lip curled as the stuff was splashed onto his plate. "Just shut your eyes and imagine what you what..." We moved on down the line. I looked down at the pile of green chunks.

"Well, at least now we know what happened to the Jolly Green Giant." I cracked a joke. Squid and I laughed.

"I like you. You have a good sense of humor. You'll need that to survive here." He smiled sincerely. Although I took his words to heart, suspicion was rising in my gut. Both ZigZag and Squid seemed like sweet guys... but could they be trusted? "Come on. You sit with the rest of us D-Tent crew." He led me to a table in the far back where the rest of the boys were sitting. He nodded to Magnet and he slid down making room for the both of us. ZigZag came from behind us and sat across the table from me. X-Ray sat at the head of table in a leader-like fashion.

"Tomorrow's your big day out in the sun. Think you'll survive?" He asked me, picking at the remains of the Jolly Green Giant. I poked at my own sludge with my fork. I raised my eyes, noticing the boys all looking at me; waiting for a reply.

"Yeah. I know I will." I kept a straight face, without blinking. "Afterall... it's just a hole." I returned my attention back to my plate. Maybe they didn't know it, but I could sense the boy's sharing a look. Sure, I had put up a strong front but the truth was, I was pretty damn nervous. All over a damn hole.

Later that night, the boys and I made our way to the D-tent. Some broke off to head to the showers. Knowing the short supply of shower tokens, I figured I'd wait until I got back from digging to take my first shower at the lake. Squid, ZigZag, Twitch and I were left alone on our journey to the tent. As soon as we stepped inside, ZigZag's shirt was up and over his head. My breath caught in my throat. I could get use to this... Squid followed suit. They tossed their shirts on their cots, eyes wandering to me. I shook my head, laughing lightly. My hands were up defensively.

"No, no, no. Don't expect me to be stripping down." I laughed, sitting back on my cot. Squid and ZigZag laughed. Twitch looked as if he had completely missed the joke. "Why aren't you guys in the showers with the other boys?" I leaned back on my elbows. ZigZag came up close to the foot of my cot and leaned over the bar.

"I'm not much into the whole male-on-male contact." He shook his head. I put a foot on either side of the bed and sat up. Although we were close, I still had to look up at him.

"And what about... male on female contact?" I flirted, a small smirk playing on my lips. He smirked back. Over his shoulder, I could see Squid watching, interested. I turned my attention back on to ZigZag. I looked me in the eyes and then suddenly his lips were against mine. His tongue flicked against my lips but he pulled back.

"You tell me." He grinned before backing off. I sat speechless, nibbling gently on my bottom lip. Squid came up behind ZigZag and smacked him on the ass. ZIgZag seemed startled but I found it amusing.

"Don't let him fool you, Doll. He's all into dropping the soap." Squid winked at me as he walked out of the tent. I watched him leave before my gaze fell back on ZigZag. He sat on his cot watching me with a smirk on his lips. Twitch sat with a fat grin plastered on his face.

"Enjoy that Twitch?" I snapped. He snickered.

"Not as much as you did." He accused me. I couldn't protest so my mouth just sort of fell open. I looked from him to ZigZag and blushed. ZigZag was grinning at me, a tinge of red seeping into his cheeks. I glared at them before throwing my covers over me. I slid out of my jumpsuit and threw it to the ground. Twitch and ZigZag watched my pants fall to the ground before sharing a look.

"Don't be getting any ideas." I snuggled into the uncomfortable cot. "Pervs."


End file.
